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Chicagoland Soccer Final 50 state ranking


By Patrick Z. McGavin


Metea Valley fielded its original girls’ soccer team in the spring of 2011.

Roughly a decade later, the Mustangs are the best around in the ecstatic and emotionally draining aftermath of their riveting shootout victory over Barrington in the Class 3A state championship game Saturday at North Central College.

Metea Valley had never won a state championship in any sport until the girls volleyball team won the Class 4A state title last November.

Now girls soccer provides the perfect bookend with a telling and remarkable achievement. 

With its top three scoring stars returning, juniors Tyra King and Jordan Lange, and sophomore Lucy Burk, the Mustangs are going to be among the top teams in any list of the state’s best clubs in 2023.

Adding to its achievements, Metea Valley earns the top spot in the Final 50, Chicagoland Soccer’s exclusive statewide poll of the best teams in the state.

“I knew it from the start,” Lange said. “Right when we had our first practices, I just thought about how amazing our team was. 

“Everybody contributed, and we had so much to put into it.”

May is the crucible for girls’ soccer. On May 3, Metea Valley gave a dominant preview by beating historic power Naperville North 3-1 in DuPage Valley Conference play. 

The game came just days after the Huskies beat Barrington in double overtime to capture the Naperville Invitational, the state’s most difficult and competitive in-season tournament.

Interestingly, Barrington coach Ryan Stengren cited the Fillies play there as their moment of reckoning and the deeper realization of what his team was capable of.

Metea Valley broke from the shadows of the always strong DuPage Valley Conference into the limelight.

“We always knew we were capable of it,” Metea Valley coach Chris Whaley said. “I think it became a little bit more believable when we beat North on their field.

“We just created some momentum from that and ran with it.”

Speaking of bookends, the closing paragraphs of the First 50 introduction published on March 13 focused on Class AA.

Divisional power Triad made history with its back-to-back state titles. In the First 50, we pointed out it appeared inevitable that Triad and Benet would meet somewhere along the state tournament path after the Redwings were pushed back down to AA.

Benet beat Triad in the state semifinals during its state championship run in 2019.

Sure enough, the teams played again Saturday, with Triad gaining revenge with the 1-0 victory.

In Class A, held the previous week at North Central College, Notre Dame (Quincy) won its sixth state championship with a 1-0 victory over Richmond-Burton.

The Final 50 poll is a fusion of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, which ranks the best teams in and around Chicago, with the Illinois 10, which ranks the best outside of our coverage area.

To understand the coding, the 50 teams are ranked in order. Also listed are the final regular season rank (RS) and the First 50 preseason rank (PR).

NR means the team was not ranked in that poll. HM, which only applies to Chicago-area schools, refers to the group of 15 squads listed in the honorable mention section of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.

For the teams that were ranked in the Illinois 10 poll, the letter I accompanies the final regular-season and preseason ranks.

Key: FRSR-final regular season rank; PR-Preseason First 50 rank; NR-not ranked; HM-honorable mention: I-Illinois 10 rank.


​​
RankFRSRPRTeamWLTComment
1230Metea Valley22213A champs unbeaten in Illinois
2410Barrington23305th-straight state finals appearance
336Naperville N1933Naperville invite title, sectional finalist
414Lyons2020Sectional final upset ended run
521NRL-W Central25203A 3rd place, 21 shutouts
6512Evanston21413A 4th, earned 2nd state trophy
7102Libertyville1742Magical run ends in supersectional
8816Glenbrook N2021Margy Porta led the way
965Naperville C1531Ed Watson ends legendary career
10727Oswego E1830Historic season for the Wolves
11I11Triad2510Back-to-back AA champs
121311Benet2251Mariana Pinto led AA runnerup
13I23O’Fallon2020Edwardsville stunned in sectional semi
141441Deerfield23423rd place AA finish for electric Warriors
15118Loyola1851Grace Ehler led memorable senior group
16NR34Edwardsville1580Finished season on 12-2-0 run
171217SC North1930Perfect record in DuKane Conference
182018SC East2052Saints make 2nd-straight supersectional
1917NRMaine S1761Molly Pistorius scored 44 goals
20919Stevenson1631Patriots captured North Suburban crown
2119NRPlainfield N1644Played 2 great games vs. Metea Valley
22HMNRGlenbard W1571Emmie Roberts led supersectional push
23237New Trier1285Trevians came of age
241522Lane1451Captured 7th-straight city title
251623Young1383Koleno twins epitomized class, grace
26HM32Fremd1273Late-season surge for sectional qualifier
27189Warren1244Injuries undermined promising run
2824NRWW South1353Meghan Economos powered sectional qualifier
29NRNRFenwick1382Kate Henige led AA 4th place finish
30I3NRWaterloo1951Only team to beat Triad in 2 seasons
31NR44ND (Quincy)2333Champion in A won 6th title
32I514Althoff21622021 A champ lost in super PKs
33I843Dunlap1933Sam Cenek powered AA super qualifier
34I6NRBoylan1920Lost shootout in AA supersectional
35I415Glenwood2040Losses to Triad, Metea Valley
3625NRCL Central1630AA sectional finalist displayed poise
37I7NRAlton1750One of best teams in Deep South
38HMNRBatavia1371GK Aubrey Hahn anchored sectional qualifier
39HMNRProspect1551Great games vs. Barrington, Libertyville
4022NRCarmel1261Anna Hartman led brilliant soph class
41NRNRRichmnd-B2321Historic run for A runnerup
42NRNRLockport1671Karolina Stasik an elite scorer
43NRNRRochester1572Got hot at the right time
44NRNRLemont1950Suzie Knutte led AA sectional final run
45NRNRDeLaSalle2140Won program's 1st sectional
46HMNRMorton (B-C)1760Mustangs moved out of boys’ shadow
47HM24Neuqua V783Joe Moreau ends historic career with late flourish
48NRNRDundee-Cr1560Berkley Mensik led 3A sectional finalist
49NR46Bartlett 1192Tessa Evans led 2nd half charge
50NR45Glenbard E1561Maia Zatarski had stellar career
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